by Arriall
-- You can E-mail me at skyfox@interlog.com --
-- Rating: PG-13 --
-- Summary: As Mac waits, Harm has a surprise visitor.
Alternate universe. Please: this should make more
sense if you read "Soul Survivor I & II" first. --
-- Disclaimer: The characters included in this story belong
to their creators (Belasario, et al) and the current
network/production company (CBS, Paramount). I am only
borrowing them - no copyright infringement is intended.
Please do not further distribute without the consent of
the author. --
~~~~~~~~~~
"In walks the night. In walks my fantasy.
Darkness all around me. And I'm dying for the light"
~~ Heart: "In Walks The Night"
~~~~~~~~~~
One day, ten hours, thirteen minutes. . . .
Mac watched the slight furrowing of Harm's brow and then it was
gone. She had been so excited the first time that it had happened,
expecting him to awaken at any moment. But that had not happened.
Harm had been moved to a private yesterday. He was still being
monitored and his leg was still in traction. Mac was unsure if his
being unconscious was due to the medication that they had him on or
the head injury. She was very frustrated at not being able to ask
any questions.
Mac sighed. She had learned many things over the last few
days. She had no need for any biological functions like sleeping or
eating. She had seen Angelico two more times; he had stopped by to
let her know that there had been no decision made as to her future.
Mac found herself hoping to see him again. He had teased her
about not concentrating hard enough and after pondering his words
for a while had finally figured out that it was a mental not a
physical force that was required to pass through solid objects. She
sighed. While she was proud of that accomplishment, she was equally
disappointed that the same technique did not seem to apply to moving
objects.
Harm was slowly becoming aware of the sounds around him. He
felt as though he were floating - a comfortable carefree sensation.
The sounds began to separate themselves into voices. He wondered
briefly who they were and what they wanted. He thought he heard Mac
before he allowed himself to drift again.
Harm groaned softly and Mac looked up quickly. Harm remained
frustratingly unconscious. Mac sighed again.
One day, ten hours, twenty-one minutes. . . and counting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mac was heading back to Harm's room after a short stroll around
the floor. It was nine o'clock in the morning - a little over two
and a half days after the accident. She was surprised to see the
tall young naval officer following the nurse down the corridor. She
was even more surprised when they stopped at Harm's doorway. The
blond woman stared into the room for a moment and then looked at the
nurse.
Mac moved closer, hearing the Lieutenant quietly thank the
nurse in a soft voice. Her smile tinged with sadness as she turned
and walked in.
Lieutenant Meg Austin felt her heart constrict in her chest as
she stared down at Harm. The tubes and monitors scared her - not
for herself, but for him. The doctors said that it was just a
question of time until he regained consciousness, but they could not
say what, if any, permanent damage had been done.
'The brain is an unknown in many ways, Lieutenant. Sometimes
it is very fragile and sometimes it is very resilient. We won't
know until he wakes up.' The doctor had told her with a shrug.
She knew that Harm had taken it badly when he had been removed
from active flight status. He had immersed himself totally into law
school and becoming a lawyer. That was one of the reasons that he
was so good. She wondered how he would handle things if he were to
come out of this unable to continue being a lawyer. She shook her
head and pushed the dark thoughts away. Harm needed good thoughts
right now.
Meg smiled as she brushed a hand across Harm's forehead. He
looked so peaceful right now - so unlike the last time they had met.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lieutenant Harmon Rabb looked at the pretty blond Lieutenant
(jg) in front of him. The sounds of activity in the bullpen floated
through the doorway of his office distracting him. He turned his
back and stared vacantly in the direction of his open filing
cabinet.
He cleared his throat. "You're leaving, Meg?"
"Yes, sir." It was almost a whisper. She was desperately
trying to keep this formal.
"Why?"
She saw him swallow hard as he asked the question. Meg felt a
lump forming in her own throat. This was it - this was her chance
to tell him how she felt. A million butterflies seemed to danced in
her stomach. She loved him. She loved him enough to give up her
career with JAG. She had requested the transfer to NCIS so that
they could be together. She opened her mouth to speak when he
turned.
"How could you? After everything that we've been through
together. I thought we had a special relationship. I thought that
it meant as much to you as it does to me. Well, go Lieutenant.
Leave." His eyes darkened as he glared at her. "And don't bother
coming back."
"But. . . ." Meg was shocked; her mind reeling. She had seen
Harm get angry before, but never with such quiet calm. It had
scared her.
"Dismissed, Lieutenant."
"Sir, I. . . ."
"Lieutenant!"
"Harm?"
He had fixed her with a cold stare. She glared back.
"Fine," he said, brushing past her. "If you won't leave, I
will."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
He had walked out of the office and out of her life. She never
knew how he had managed it, but they had not been assigned to work
together again. Every attempt that she made to talk to him had been
ignored or deflected. What she had thought would be the happiest
day of her life had turned out to be the saddest.
She had managed to keep track of Harm after her transfer. She
knew that he had been close to the Marine Major killed in the
accident. Meg had bought him a wallet for his birthday when they
had worked together. He had listed her on his records to be
notified in case of an accident. She supposed that he had never
bothered to change it and that was why she had received the call
that he was in hospital.
She looked down at him.
"I gave it all up for you. I love you, Harmon Rabb, Jr."
Mac heard the young woman's words. She had realized as soon as
she saw Austin on the nametag that this was Meg, his former partner.
Harm hardly mentioned her, but Bud had talked about her a few times.
Mac wondered what it was that Meg had given up. She could see the
woman cared deeply for him.
"Sarah?"
She turned to see Angelico standing in the doorway and smiled.
He motioned for her to follow him into to hallway.
"A decision has been made, Sarah."
Mac had the sensation of her chest tightening. "What is it?"
Angelico smiled. "You may stay with Harm for the rest of the
time that you were supposed to live or until you decide otherwise."
Mac sighed in relief. "Thank you."
Angelico turned to go and then turned back with a grin. "And
Sarah, you don't need to touch an object in order to move it."
Harm's eyelids fluttered. . . and then he blinked. His eyes
began to focus. He smiled as he recognized Meg.
"Hey, fly-boy," she said in a soft voice.
"Meg." His voice sounded raspy and dry.
"Yeah. It's me, Harm." She smiled.
The sound of Harm's voice drew Mac back into the room.
Harm looked carefully around the room, his head still not clear
from the fog it seemed to fill his mind. He saw someone standing at
the bottom of his bed, looking extremely tense.
"Mac?"
The Marine grinned at him.
"Harm." Meg put a hand on his arm, drawing his attention.
"I'm so sorry. Mac's dead."
"But. . . ?" He looked back at the Major.
"It's true, Harm. I am dead."
Harm closed his eyes with a groan, his head starting to ache,
he allowed himself to slip back into the darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was dark in the room when Harm opened his eyes again. He
thought he did not feel as dizzy as he had earlier. Meg. He
remember that Meg had been here. He wondered why, then the memory
of Meg's words hit him. Mac was dead.
"Mac. God, Mac, I am so sorry. . . ."
He lifted a shaky hand to rub his eyes.
"It's not your fault, Harm."
Harm froze, his hand still covering his eyes. The voice -
Mac's voice. He must be hallucinating, perhaps an effect of one of
the drugs that he was on. Slowly he lowered his hand and looked
around.
"Mac?" He whispered.
She stepped out of the shadows and walked over to the side of
his bed. She reached out, hesitated and then took his hand.
Harm felt the touch of Mac's hand. 'This is one helluva
hallucination,' he thought. He gripped her hand tightly. It felt
so real.
"I don't understand, Mac. Y-you're dead?"
Mac could see the confusion reflected in his eyes and sighed.
How to explain all this to him?
"Yes. It's a long story, Harm. But I'm still here for you.
I'll always be here for you."
finis. . .